Chapter III: Faustian Deals

Jazz

"Danny are you okay?" I ask knocking on his door but there is no answer. "Danny, we'll have to leave to pick up Sam soon," again nothing. I hear mom ask if everything is okay. "Yes, he just has last minute nerves," I lie as she offers to come to talk to him. "No, that's last thing he needs. What's that Danny? I can come in now," I slowly open the door.

Danny was nowhere to be seen, "There must have been a ghost attack," I notice his suit on the bed. Something wasn't adding up. I take out my cell phone and dial Sam's number. "Hey Sam this is Jazz. Can you meet me at the Nasty Burger. I think something is up. Danny isn't in his room." She says she'll be there in 15 minutes. "Okay bye."

I walk over to Danny's desk and open the drawer revealing a small ectopistol. "It's a good thing I didn't say anything about others carrying ghost weapons." I place it in my pocket and head downstairs. Mom and dad are waiting by the door. "I am sorry to do this but Danny's not feeling good. I have to go out and get some medicine for his stomach."

"Does he have a fever? He's seemed fine earlier," mom says about to go up but I tell her that he is puking his brains out up there. "I've faced all kinds of unsavory things. I can handle some vomit on the floor." I tell her not like this. Nothing is staying down not even water.

"It sounds like the ecto-flu. I had it my sophomore year of college. If I had my Ecto-Thermometer I could know for sure but someone said no ghost gadgets." This gives me an idea. I ask mom and dad if they have any notes from when he had it. "Of course, come on Maddie to the archives!" he says racing down the basement.

"That should keep them busy for awhile," I said taking the RV keys and drive to the Nasty Burger.

Mayor

"What did the Pumpkin King think of your theory?" my butler said as I walked into my thinking room. I tell him that Jack thinks I am on to something but he wants to keep it quiet. "That is a good idea sir. You don't want the town panicking over something that might not be true. "I found a book you might like," he me hands a red book with the title Legends of the Dead.

He says there's the a tale of the ghost king being sealed away. If it worked for Pariah it could work our current troubles from coming back. "You are a genius," I said grabbing the book and raced back to my car. "I have to show to this Jack right away!"

"Don't you think you should read it, sir," he says as I start my car and zooms off towards Jack's house.

"JACK! JACK! JACK!" I call out through the loudspeaker hoping to get his attention before it is too late.

Vlad

"That's it little badger, just a little more," I said watching my birds lure the boy to me. I take out a device from my pocket. "Who would think that Technus made...," an alarm starts going off. "Pop Tarts! What is it now," I turn on the spy cams and see Danny's friends meeting at the Nasty Burger. "Not yet!" I roll up my sleeve and press a green button on a silver watch.

A portal opened up and Skulker emerged. "What is it now Plasmius? I am busy polishing my guns?" I tell him I want him to distract Jasmine and Ms. Manson. They are too close to figuring out my plan and can't have any interference. "This is hardly worth my time." He goes to leave before I grab him. "Hey! what's big idea," I tell him that if he wants to continue to exist he will do as he's told. "I am already dead, there isn't much you do to me." I tell him there things I know that would shock him. He sighs and asks if I want them dead or alive.

"Alive. All you have to do is make sure that they do not ruin my plan," he laughs saying this be easy. "You say that now," I mutter under my breath as he teleports away. I turn my attention back to the boy. "The time of choosing is at hand, Daniel. How will you choose,"

I watch the birds lure him to a abandoned alley. "Just a little further," I teleport into

position still watching the youth.

Shock

"Well what did he say?" I ask Lock and Barrel as they come back from their field trip. Lock says he was chased back into his grave before he could tell them anything. "Did you get anything useful?" he says the necromancer said there is a creature called the halfa. "The halfa that's a tall tale. He doesn't exist!"

"If he's not real why did the necromancer write about it," Barrel says walking up the cauldron. "Smells good," he reaches for the spoon but I slap him away. "I was going to share," he whines but I tell him this isn't for food but the ritual.

Lock takes a large book the shelf. "Here we go Paimon," he says pointing to an entry on the page. "It says he knows all the secrets of the dead and nothing can be hidden from him." I ask how to summon him. He says that an offering of blood and gold must be given before he comes."

"You, candy brain, go into the machines and retrieve a gold coin." Barrel salutes her and leaves for his quest. "As for you oh brother you shall give the blood." he asks why he has to give blood. "Barrel gave it last time and can't be offered again. Besides you're the expert on demons. Now light a fire so we can do the offering."

"It says the fire must be lit by a candle made from a condemn man's hand." I take one out of my trick-or-treat bag. Barrel asks me where I got it from. "Unlike you simpletons, I know where to get the good stuff." I take a match and light the hand. "By the unholy light of this black flame. Do we three dedicate ourselves to the task before us." I place the hand on the ground and it is consumed by the flames.

"I've got the gold. Are we roasting bugs?" Barrel says handing me gold coin.

"We give thee gold that you may obey us," I throw the coin into the fire. I motioned for Lock to step forward. I run a blade across his palm and watch it drip into the fire. "We give thee blood that you may be bound to our words." Once the incantation was finished the fire turned into a sinister black robed figure.

"Why do you invoke me?" it asks in a raspy voice. I step forward and ask for him to aid in our ritual. "What do you require?" I show them the text, "Yes I can find the one. My legions will scour the cosmos and bring him here." he said turning into a raven and flying away.

Danny

"Lovely evening isn't it Daniel," the voice of Plasmius says as I turn around. I tell him I am not in the mood for games. "Yes, I know you had planed to go Walburga's tonight. Excellent establishment." I was about to say something when a cold wind blew through. It was unlike anything I had ever felt. "Maybe I can warm you up." Vlad says charging up an ectoblast but I counter it with a ghost shield.

"Is this some new ghost power you're showing off," I taunted him but he just remained silent. "Why don't you say something you perverted old Fruit Loop!" I charge at him but he grabs my wrist and throws me to the ground. "Lucky hit," I get up and fire an ectobeam at him. "What are you even doing here," I ask him as he teleports out of range. He says that he has an offer for me. "Forget it cheese head, I am not joining you. Not now. Not EVER!" I fly after him and unleash a barrage of attacks.

"You should have at least listened to my offer," he said removing a small device from his pocket. "I am truly sorry it came to this." He places it on chest and I am hit with overwhelming waves of pain. He lets go and I fall to the ground.

"I...," was all I could eke out. Vlad told me not to struggle. He said his device had supercharged my atoms to the point where they burst apart. I brace myself and slowly advanced towards my enemy. He looks at me in feigned sympathy and says this could have been avoided. "Go...to...," I manage to say before more pain arced through my body.

"You were a worthy adversary. Now it is over." he places hand a on my chest and unleashes an ectoblast. The cold heat made my nerves scream and tears blurred my vision. My senses were overloaded and all I could experience is pain. Darkness washed over me and I heard Vlad whisper something before I passed out.

Jack Skellington

"I can tell him to come back," Sally says as I walk down the steps. I tell her that will only make things worse. I open the door and ask the Mayor what's going on? He says he's come across something that could help us out. "What are you talking about?" I ask him as he races in the room.

"I was in my relaxing room when my butler brought me this books," He hands me a small red leather book. Legends of the Dead was embossed in gold on the cover. "Turn to page 56," I flip through the pages until I come a tale of the Ghost King. I tell him that Pariah isn't coming back. "But look what it says here – the ancient ghosts cast a spell on the sarcophagus. We can use this spell to seal the gateway to Hell and prevent him from returning.

"We're not sure it's him returning. All we know is that you discovered a puddle of water in your house." He reminds me that his book was stolen. "Yes, but...," the wind howled wildly outside. I look at the calendar, "October 13th" if I still had a heart it would stop at the mention of it.

"You don't think this all connected? The stolen book, the puddle of water and the date?" I say if any day was conducive to their goal it would be today. I tell him to Town Hall and I will explain everything later. "Where are you going?" I ask him as I push against the winds.

"I am going to get answers," I tell him as he tries to make it to his car.